Dempster sprints to victory in Tesco Rutland-Melton Cicle Classic

Zak Dempster triumphed on Sunday in the English cousin of the “Eroica” in Italy, the Tesco Rutland-Melton Cicle Classic (1.2), when he outsprinted Belgium’s Erwin De Kerf (Hand in Hand Espoirs) and Poland’s Marcin Bialoblocki (Motorpoint) at the head of an 18-rider group.

Contrary to previous years, the Cicle Classic wasn’t decided in the first kilometres by a huge breakaway that the peloton would never see again. Instead, the bunch was whittled down in an elimination race through the twisty and undulating roads of the East Midlands countryside, which give the Cicle Classic a Tour of Flanders’ look.

“To be honest it was a quite negative race today,” Dempster told Cyclingnews at the finish. “I was pretty aggressive, perhaps too much, but it never helped to make the difference.” Perhaps the dry weather was the main factor in the wait-and-see nature of the race.

Three riders tried serious lone escapes, however: Briton Tom Southam (Rapha Condor), Spaniard Javier Pomares (KTM-Murcia) and Frenchman Léo Fortin (ESEG Douai).

The latter, a pro stagiaire with Crédit Agricole in 2006 who stopped racing in 2010 and came back last winter, was caught with three kilometres to go, after an escape of around thirty kilometres. His gap reached 1:50 but he said that he had no illusions in the last 12 kilometres.

Following a very fast teammate of Fortin’s into the last corner before the line, Dempster almost crashed but he was in second position, a perfect position for the sprint. In the previous kilometres, his team had supported him through Dan Craven and Dean Downing's strong lead-out. The other Rapha rider in the front group, Graham Briggs, was another wildcard for the sprint.

The 23-year-old Dempster, a former track specialist as part of the Australian Institute of Sport’s programme, confirmed his strong abilities in the “Flemish” classics with this victory. On a similar course, he won the Dengie Marshes Tour last week, a Premier calendar race in Essex. In 2009 he rode Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne with Bulgarian continental team CC Bourgas and finished 15th of the Three Days of West Flanders.

“To win the Tesco Rutland-Melton Cicle Classic was something special,” Dempster said. “I really enjoyed the route. It’s like the Tro Bro Leon [another semi-classic in Brittany – Ed.] and I really like it!” He expects to join a WorldTour team as soon as possible. Dempster will soon have further opportunities to shine at the highest level, notably in France with the Tour of Lorraine, the Ronde de l’Oise and the Boucles de la Mayenne.

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